According to a new study published in the journal JAMA Internal Medicine, approximately one out of six Americans have taken an antidepressant or mental health medicine at least once in their life.
16.7% of adults filed one or more psychiatric drug prescriptions
The new study brings to light the truth that people with mental health concerns should not feel ostracized or judged for their condition.
The study found that 16.7 percent of 242 million U.S. adults reported filling one or more psychiatric drug prescriptions back in 2013, the last time when the researchers gathered information.
12% of people recorded said that they took antidepressants, a little bit over 8% took drugs for anxiety, sedatives, and sleeping pills, and 1.6% took antipsychotic medication, commonly used to treat ailments such as schizophrenia.
The usage varied depending on race and ethnicity
Additionally, the researchers found a large disparity between people of different races and their usage of medication. 20.8% of white adults reported use while for Hispanic adults, only 8.7% reported using medication. This can possible be due to the fact that minorities usually receive inferior health care, especially mental health care, compared to white individuals. Cultural stigma and a lack of healthcare providers are also a possible reason for the disparity.
The study is important since it's helpful in reducing the stigma and stereotypes for those who suffer from mental health problems. A lot of people who suffer from a mental health condition feel that others aren't compassionate or understanding regarding their concern. Knowing that there are a lot of people who suffer the same problems is heartening for people who need support.
Go to the next page to learn more about supporting someone with a mental health illness.
Support for those with a mental health illness
A lot of people feel isolated or alone in their struggle with their mental health. This is because there's a lot of stigma and stereotypes that pervade in our society that paints people who suffer from a mental illness in a bad light.
This is why it's important that we always show support to people suffering from a mental illness so that they feel hopeful that they're not alone and that they'll have people that they can lean on.
Here are some steps that you can take:
- There's really no single way to help out someone with a mental health illness. The way we handle people should change depending on their condition.
- Understand what they're going through and learn more about their illness. Learning more about what a person is going through is important when it comes to knowing what they feel. Set roles and responsibilities for you and the person you want to help out.
- Be patient. Getting better takes time, and there's really no way to rush things. Try and extend your patience for as long as possible as people suffering from a mental illness need our understanding the most.
- Encourage them. Let them participate in different activities and be supportive of what they're doing. Teach them to be independent and to expand their limits.
- Take care of yourself. In order to take care of someone else, you'll need to know how to take care of yourself first. That's why you need to look after yourself and your own wellbeing before you can start caring for someone else.
READ: Study says contraceptive pills might be causing depression
Sources: nbcnews.com, psychologytoday.com, huffingtonpost.com
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